Fat Bear Week returns to Katmai National Park and Preserve starting today, with the public invited to vote on which of 16 brown bears has packed on the most weight ahead of winter hibernation. This year’s single-elimination bracket marks the tournament’s largest field yet, expanding from 12 competitors in recent years to 16, and includes returning champion Bear 32, nicknamed “Chunk.”

Chunk’s title defense carries its own storyline. Last year, the roughly 1,200-pound bear won voters over despite competing with a broken jaw, in what park watchers described as something of a redemption arc after he drew criticism the year before for killing a cub belonging to 2024 champion Grazer. Park officials say this year’s expanded bracket reflects a strong new generation of bears at Brooks Camp, with Superintendent Mark Sturm noting that more cubs have been spotted in the area than in recent memory.

Voting runs through Sept. 29, with the public choosing a winner in each head-to-head matchup based on which bear best exemplifies “fatness and success” in preparing for hibernation. Katmai park ranger Sarah Bruce has encouraged voters to weigh each bear’s individual circumstances — noting that many single mothers, for instance, have to split their calorie intake with hungry cubs rather than packing on weight for themselves alone. Fans can also tune into live webcams along the Brooks River to watch the contenders in action while they cast their votes.

The event has grown into a global phenomenon since its start in 2014, drawing more than 1.7 million votes from over 100 countries last year alone. A new champion will be crowned Sept. 29, closing out a tournament that’s become an unofficial celebration of the health of Katmai’s ecosystem and its salmon-fed bear population.